Hunting
by Agent Jaid
Summary: After watching Zekk walk off with a blonde beauty in his arms, Jaina Solo felt like her world had collapsed. Months later, her best friend makes a bet with her that she just can’t turn down. Her mission is to hunt down the one she loves...
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer**: The setting for my story is Star Wars and is property of the Too Lucky For His Own Good George Lucas. The assorted lyrics belong to the artists who are listed directly below the little exerts. Sanar Klis is on loan from TricksterJainaFel. The plot and the other characters you don't know belong to me. Unfortunately, I'm not making any money off of it and have no hopes for such a turn of events.   
  
**Summary**: After watching Zekk walk off with a blonde beauty in his arms, Jaina Solo felt like her world had collapsed. Months later, on a mercy mission, her two best friends make a bet with her that she just can't turn down. Now her mission is to hunt down the one man she loves and convince him to stay with her…   
  
**Characters**: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Shan Brooks, Nara Onyx, Sanar Klis   
  
**Keywords**: AU, Z/J, angst, friendship, romance   
  
**Authors Note**: Once again, I have screwed up the Star Wars time-line. Don't blame me! Blame TJF! She's the one who got me started! This one is AU starting from the beginning of the YJK but not majorly so until the end. Sometime at the start of the YJK, Mara and Kyp were sent on a mercy mission to the Klis planet (YOU try spelling that thing!!) (_she__ says it's spelled Na'Lein'yhpaon_) and ended up purchasing a defensive, Force sensitive, mocha-eyed girl named Sanar. The rest of the YJK kinda goes on down the same route: Jacen cutting off Tenel Ka's arm, etc, but with Sanar tagging along. Mara was never pregnant by the way. When the Yuuzhan Vong attack, things seem to go south as the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV is reduced to rubble and only those off-planet survive, leaving a bare handful of Jedi behind. A vote is taken and the Jedi declare war on the Vong; even the revered Master Skywalker threw his all into the fight, though it ruined his relationship with his sister. Leia Organa-Solo hated (resented him more then anything in the galaxy) Luke for choosing what she called 'the path of least resistance'. When she was killed trying to negotiate peacefully with the Vong, the New Republic blamed the Jedi for destroying the possibility of peace with the Vong, and declared them enemies of the state and put prices on their heads. Talon Karrde and his band of smugglers came out of the woodwork, joining forces with the Jedi and in the end they triumphed. A few weeks after the Solo twins seventeenth birthday the Vong were taken out in an amazing two-prong attack by the smuggler faction, led by Zekk and his mysterious partner and by the Jedi, led by the charismatic Kyp Durron who was their unofficial leader. The new Republic hurriedly reviewed their ruling and after a few weeks of arguing they 'generously' granted the Jedi a pardon, removing the price from their heads several months after the war was over. This story starts about five months after the Jedi were forgiven. I hope you enjoy.   
  
**AN2**: This fic, **Hunting**, started out as a song fic to Enrique's song "Escape" but I soon realized that I had too much stuff. So, short story it is! **Hunting** owes its inspiration to TricksterJainaFel's **Rebuilding** series, her short story Cry (t'is a beautiful story dedicated to me!!), and the **Unofficial Continuation of the YJK **, which is bloody good by the way (hint hint). It is also my first attempt at a fic that has 'Fluffy Mushy Happy Warm' Feelings – it didn't really work but it's still not my traditional stuff. sigh It doesn't jump around too much, but it will show a couple flashbacks for both Zekk and Jaina. At the rate that this is growing, it might end up being a full length fic but I'm ignoring that possibility right now! It will not be a novel!! It won't!! defiant   
  
**Dedication**: To the Goddess who inspired me, Erin!!! (and also in part to Jo who has been begging for this since forever)   
  
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_If you feel like leaving   
I'm not gonna make you stay   
Soon you'll be finding   
You can run, you can hide   
But you can't escape my love   
You can run, you can hide   
But you can't escape my love_   
- "Escape" by Enrique Inglesias   
  
:::::::   
  
It had started in a cantina. Tenel Ka's Master, Kyp Durron, had dragged them out to the local bar so they could relax. "Them" being Tenel Ka Djo, Jaina and Jacen Solo, Sanar Klis, and a baby vornskr that the smuggler Talon Karrde had given to the Solo twins.   
  
Now, after almost two hours, "totally drunk" seemed to describe them fairly well. Well, except for the baby vornskr, but that's beside the point. The Jedi had been in the Outer Rim on assignment from Luke Skywalker for nearly seven standard months. Their mission was to examin planets for collateral damage done to them during the war and inform the New Republic where help was needed the most.   
  
The four younger Jedi, Sanar, Tenel Ka, and the twins had become fast friends, their relationships consolidating as their other friends died around them.   
  
Lowbacca had been killed in one of the initial Yuuzhan Vong attacks; Lusa and most of the other initiates, including the youngest Solo son, Anakin, had died in the attack on Yavin IV. When the twins' mother, Leia Organa Solo, had been killed, it broke her husband's heart beyond repair. Even before the war ended, Han and Chewie retreated to Hapes, flying out every so often to make sure that the twins were okay. The twins threw themselves into their chosen fields: Jacen into learning the mysteries of the Force, and Jaina into ships, both mourning in their own way. The changes during the short but vicious war were immense yet slight.   
  
Sanar was nothing like the hardened, cynical temple servant (a fancy term for slave) that she had been before Mara Jade and Kyp Durron had landed on her home planet and bought her from her brother. Nobody had guessed that Mara could do it, but she mothered and smothered Sanar until the girl's hardened shell cracked. They were closer than master and apprentice, their relationship being one that spoke of trust, friendship and mutual admiration. Kyp was the one thing they couldn't agree on: Mara still hated him for stranding her at the Jedi Academy all those years before, but Sanar had fallen in love with him.   
  
Tenel Ka had become more light-hearted, realizing that she would rule Hapes one day, she was determined to make the most of her freedom at hand. The development of a slightly desperate humor that spawned from needing to be constantly on the alert against her teasing Master, who delighted in provoking her apprentice's temper, was unexpected to say the least. She had also succumbed and gotten a cybernetic arm to aid in her work. Her fighting skills in hand-to-hand combat and with her lightsaber were superb as Jaina knew, being constantly bested in their sparring sessions.   
  
Jacen hadn't visibly changed much during the war, except that he stopped making up the jokes he told constantly, and he grew almost a foot. His affection for the Dathomirian Jedi had grown even as he tried to remain in control of his emotions. When he had been informed that they would be sent on this mission together, Jacen had been ready to refuse, afraid that every shard of self-control he had learned would desert him the moment that he saw her, and that he would make a fool of himself in her eyes. Instead, they had been growing closer on this mission; a lot closer then Jaina wished she could see. Watching her younger twin brother fall more and more in love with the woman of his dreams, and seeing that love reciprocated, was almost more then she could take.   
  
Jaina, who had been apprenticed to her uncle, Luke Skywalker, had only cultivated her love of ships and flying to a level that was appalling to everyone but her father, who applauded her the whole way. Her temper became something that had even the daredevil Kyp trying to avoid it. Her self-control was amazing, yet when it came to using the Force, she seemed to have no more control than she had as a small child. The only time she felt competent was when she was in the cockpit of a ship. The only time she could forget that Zekk no longer loved her was when she was surrounded by machines she could manipulate. And here on this backwater planet, the only thing that was even remotely metal was the table around which they were all seated.   
  
Tenel Ka's face was slightly slack and she was – giggling. Jaina grimaced; it sounded so _wrong_ coming from her! Jacen looked like he had just been handed the deed to Hapes and, for what it was worth, he probably had been. Jacen had spent the last half hour hitting on Tenel Ka, and, to the amazement of both Jaina and the small vonskr, he wasn't being beaten over the head.   
  
Sanar was just smiling in that impish way that told them that she was up to no good, and staring at Kyp with those big mocha eyes of hers. Kyp was grateful that Sanar's master, his nemesis Mara Jade, wasn't around, and was wondering how far he could push the flirting before he would have to worry about his life.   
  
Jaina was the least intoxicated of the humans, but the drink combined with her inner tension and strain was compounding in her system, almost knocking her flat. She would've tried harder to get drunk if she had known what a seemingly innocent conversation would trigger.   
  
When Tenel Ka had finally calmed down a bit, she turned to the only one at the table who wasn't sitting with the person she loved. "Jay-a," she slurred. "Who'd you lu-uve?"   
  
"Tekkie's gonna marry me," Jacen said proudly with a ridiculous grin. "Sh-she shaid so."   
  
Jaina's faint smile disappeared, the subject managing to touch her even through the layers of alcohol in her system. "Don't ask." She took a large swallow of her Corellian whisky, grimacing as it burned down her throat. _No…_ she whispered inwardly,_ please don't ask about Zekk, he… he… oh kriff it, I can't even admit it to myself… _The last time they spoke blossomed in her mind's eye and she shuddered away from it, but it chased after her, drawing her in…   
  
From what felt like a great distance, she heard Sanar mutter, "Betcha is tha' dark boy tha left, was his name a'in? Shekk?…"   
  
_Yes_, Jaina thought dimly, as she slid into an alcohol induced stupor. It's Zekk. Oh, why did I have to see it… And she fell into a storm of memories that were as sharp as the shards of her broken heart.   
  
:::::::   
  
A continuous electronic beeping was pounding through Jaina's head when she slowly awoke the next evening to meet the concerned eyes of her friend, Sanar.   
  
"Hey, Solo, glad to see you're still moving." The cynical edge didn't hide the relief that Sanar felt when she saw the younger girl blink. "I thought you'd given up on us for a while. You gave Kyp an' me a scare when we tried to put you into a healing trance, but I think the lump on his head'll heal up in a bit. Even Jacen was worried about you, once he and his girlfriend came up for air and he realized you were out cold." Sanar sounded self-satisfied on that point.   
  
Jaina cracked her lips open and tried to swallow, her tongue thick enough to make her struggle to enunciate her words. "A' least you didn't drop them in water."   
  
Sanar grinned viciously as she helped Jaina sip from a glass of water. "I know, I'm so kind, aren't I?"   
  
Jaina groaned, rolling her eyes. "Sanar! What did you do to them?"   
  
"I didn't mean to turn on the water hose, and whoever aimed it at their heads should be dealt with severely!" Sanar said innocently.   
  
Jaina's eyes widened. "You didn't!"   
  
"**_I_** didn't," Sanar protested.   
  
Jaina narrowed her eyes, then grinned when the answer dawned on her. "Kyp's dead meat, isn't he?"   
  
"Last I saw him, he was hiding on top of a sky scraper, muttering something about 'crazy-psycho-Jedi apprentices'," Sanar admitted smugly.   
  
Jaina laughed, but the laugh turned to a cough as her lungs complained. Sanar's concern came back. "Jaina, what the kriff is the matter with you??"   
  
"I think it's called malnutrition," Jaina muttered, her sallow cheeks tingeing pink.   
  
Sanar's dark eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you just say?"   
  
Jaina winced, then pushed back some of her hair, "I," she cleared her throat anxiously, "I don't think I've been eating right for a while…"   
  
Sanar's eyebrows jumped up. "Jaina!"   
  
"I'm sorry! I just – I don't know, okay??" Jaina rolled over to face the wall, self-pity and loneliness surrounding her like a cloak.   
  
"Alright, cut that out!" Sanar snapped, spinning the younger Jedi back to face her. "Any more self-pity and I'll kick you out the air lock from hyperspace – understood??"   
  
Jaina's eyes were wide, but Sanar continued. "You think I haven't noticed that you don't eat? The only reason that I've been letting you get away with it is 'cause you've been able to keep up with us. But after last night, enough is enough! You will eat, you will not wallow in self-pity any more, and I don't care what you have to do to keep out of it!"   
  
Jaina nodded slowly, her eyes beginning to return to their normal size. "Okay," Jaina whispered, her voice cracking.   
  
Sanar grinned and handed her a long flexible straw that was attached to a dark bottle. "It's just water," Sanar explained with a wink. "Now," she said, lying on the bunk next to Jaina and fastening her eyes on the other girl with fascination. "Tell me about Zekk."   
  
:::::::   
  
It was almost midnight when Jacen crept down the hall, hiding from Kyp; he shook his head sorrowfully at the laughter that was ringing through the house that the Jedi were renting. Sanar and Jaina had hung their 'Do Not Enter – Gab Fest In Session' sign up on the door of their quarters, and it would only bring about his early demise if he disturbed them. Experience overrules all.   
  
The two girls were each wrapped up in the men they loved. Zekk hadn't been an issue that long, Sanar not knowing enough and Jaina anxious to change the topic. Kyp soon took the main place in their talk, with both girls arguing over whether or not Sanar should elope the next weekend with him or not. After a while, the conversation drifted back to Zekk and Jaina's relationship.   
  
"I used to think it was the Force's will that we should keep running into each other because we were meant for each other," Jaina confided with a bittersweet smile.   
  
"Used to? Uh-oh, trouble in paradise I take it? What happened?" Sanar munched on a handful of popcorn. What had started out as a serious conversation between two women deteriorated into a light-hearted boy talk between best friends. There were several empty soda cans on the floor and each girl was armed with a bag of buttery popcorn and a fresh soda. There were crushed kernels on the floor from a furious, fun-filled popcorn fight that had issued over whether Zekk or Kyp was hotter – it ended in a stalemate – that they hadn't cleaned up yet.   
  
"Well, the last time I saw him, I was actually almost unconscious and he saved my life. I thought at first he was a dream but then I realized it was real…" Jaina's emotions were torn between pleasure and pain over that particular memory.   
  
Sanar's patience was non-existent. "Well? What happened??"   
  
"He left. I don't want to talk about that," Jaina said shortly, her eyes darkening as she remembered how that memory ended.   
  
"Whoa, sorry," Sanar muttered, her mind suddenly kicking into overdrive as a very appealing, very evil idea presented itself.


	2. The Bet

**Jaina-Elessar:** Oh my gosh!! I have a reader!! sings your praises Thank you so much for reviewing this!! Okay, you've motivated me to give you the next section… But I warn you, I don't have very much of this pre-done. I think I have two more – no, three more chapters but they aren't very long. Yeah, Zekk couldn't take watching Jaina keep on ignoring him so… he left! Jaina'll be a bit of a wimp because she keeps trying to act like she's not in love with him, but, as you say, everybody knows! As for what happened the last time she saw him… I don't really know. And you'll have to wait for it 'cause I don't have it planned to come up for quite some time. Let's just say though, that he saved her life, kissed her gently and apologized for his feelings for her, and then walked off with a gorgeous blonde in his arms. Guilt Trip Time!!!

:::::::   
  
_And it only hurts when I'm breathing   
My heart only breaks when it's beating   
My dreams only die when I'm dreaming   
So, I hold my breath – to forget_   
- "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing" by Shania Twain   
  
:::::::   
  
For the first time, Jaina resented Sanar. Their conversation had torn down the barriers she had in place to keep Zekk from her mind, and she felt abandoned. The months following were hell. Jaina struggled to keep from sliding into depression, but it was a losing fight and she knew it.   
  
Jacen felt helpless as he watched her moods darken and communication between them became strained. Tenel Ka's attempts to respect her privacy drove a wedge between them that Jaina didn't know how to overcome. Kyp wouldn't have even noticed it if Sanar hadn't turned down a date with him so she could shadow Jaina when she went off on her own for a week. The weather on the planet seemed to darken as Jaina took to running away from their base more and more, trying to forget about Zekk and everything he made her feel. All the pain he had given her.   
  
One night, she snuck into her brother's room, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Her heart froze when she found he wasn't in his room. Reaching out with her bond, her heart fell to a new low when she registered that he was in Tenel Ka's room and neither one of them was asleep. Her eyes blurred with tears and a small holo picture on Jacen's desk made her self-control snap as she fell to her knees, crying.   
  
From the frame on the desk, Zekk's laughing eyes seemed to sadden a bit as they looked at the pint sized girl that had stolen his heart.   
  
The next morning was raining heavily with an occasional lightening bolt. Jaina left the house at dawn and wasn't seen until well after sundown.   
  
Jacen was waiting for her when she came in, her clothes and hair drenched. "Where were you?" he demanded even before the door closed. "I've been worried sick about you! I tried to contact you through the Force but-"   
  
"But I blocked our bond," Jaina said wearily, pulling her Jedi robe off and hanging it on a clothes tree. She wrung out her braid and plopped down on a wooden bench to remove her shoes.   
  
"Kyp tried searching for your signature," Jacen continued irately, as if she hadn't spoken. "But he kept being blocked!"   
  
"I asked Sanar to help me keep Kyp away; sounds like she did just fine." Jaina sat her shoes side by side and stood up, a puddle of crystal clear water already forming around her stocking-clad feet. A matching one was underneath her cloak, and a third was around her sodden shoes. "Jacen? I'm sorry, but I really, I mean I really needed to get away for a while. Is there anything hot to drink around here?" Jaina started to head towards the kitchen.   
  
"Jaina—!" Jacen grabbed her arm, his chocolaty brown eyes dark with worry. "Tell me, where did you go?!"   
  
"Why do you even care Jacen, you have Tenel Ka." Jaina lifted her hazel eyes, almost black with despair, to meet his.   
  
The stinging _slap_ echoed through the entryway, and Jaina's hand went to her cheek where Jacen had hit her.   
  
"You're my sister, and don't say stuff like that," Jacen said, shaking with all the anger, worry and fear that he had felt that day, wondering if his only sibling was still alive or not. "I've been worried sick about you today, and having Tenel Ka didn't do anything to change it. What has gotten into you? You're almost like you lost your heart or something."   
  
"I did lose it." Jaina's voice was very quiet. "I gave it away, thinking it'd be safe, but all he did was tear it out and walk off. Please let me go."   
  
Jacen released his hold on her arm, fighting the need he felt to protect her from the galaxy. "Oh, Jaya…"

Jaina turned and left for the kitchen.   
  
Tenel Ka walked into the entryway, her grey eyes cloudy as Jacen looked helplessly at her. "I don't know what to do. I've never seen Jay like this, Tenel Ka. It… It worries me."   
  
"Jacen," Tenel Ka said, brushing his brown hair away from his forehead with her fingertips, "Things will work out, the will of the Force—"   
  
"No, things won't work out!" Jacen jerked his head back, regretting it when pain formed in her eyes but unable to help himself. "Don't you understand, Tenel Ka? Jaya is almost the last family I have left in the galaxy! She's my sister! I – I don't know how to help her! I'm supposed to protect her! Dad told me that's what guys do for girls – brothers especially! But it's like she doesn't care about anything!"   
  
The hurt in Tenel Ka's eyes dissipated, and she wrapped her arms around Jacen. "I think I understand, Jacen, but Jaina is responsible for her own actions. You can not direct them for her, nor can you keep her from all harm."   
  
"Well, then, what can I do?" Jacen's eyes were desperate.   
  
"Love her," Tenel Ka said quietly. "Love her and let her go."   
  
Jacen tangled his hands in his fiancée's hair, lowering his head to her shoulder as she laid her cheek against his chest. "Force help me," he whispered brokenly, leaning on Tenel Ka's strength, needing a rock to help him in the storm.   
  
Outside the house, a bolt of angry lightening lit up the sky as far as the eye could see.   
  
:::::::   
  
Kyp and Sanar were seated in the kitchen, a single cup sitting between them. Kyp had one hand covering Sanar's, and her head was bowed. Jaina paused on the threshold. "Can I enter?" she asked, her mood gentling a bit as she saw the weariness written on their faces.   
  
"Sure," Sanar said without moving. "The cup is yours and there's fresh stim tea brewing on the stove unit. I knew you'd need it."   
  
"Thank you." Jaina used the Force to pull the cup towards her as she walked over to the pot that sat, bubbling, on a burner. Pouring herself a cupful of the heated liquid, Jaina sighed. The room was silent except for the sound of the rain hitting and skittering down the windows. Thunder and lightning raged outside, illuminating the kitchen, the noise making Jaina flinch and spill some of the boiling stim tea on the floor. Sanar got up wordlessly, grabbed a towel and began cleaning it up. Jaina put the pot back on the stove and leaned on the counter, her eyes upset as she looked at the scene outside, and gingerly took a sip of the drink. She burned her tongue and blocked out the pain and the world, trying desperately to keep her anger under control. She was lauded for her self-control, but right now she would rather go Sith than deal with things.   
  
"Jaina?" Kyp asked, trying to keep from angering her. "Jaina, where did—"   
  
"Don't talk to me!" Jaina suddenly gasped out, her hands slamming down onto the counter, the hot liquid sloshing over the edge of her mug and hitting the counter. Sanar thumped the heel of her hand into her forehead as she stood again and began to clean the mess up. "Don't!" Jaina snapped at Sanar when she tried to move Jaina's hands.   
  
Sanar's eyes glossed over with hurt that she quickly shuffled aside, pushing to the forefront the hardened exterior that she hadn't used in years. "Solo, chill and let me work. I'm not doing it just for you."   
  
Jaina blushed a bit then backed into a wall, sliding down it so she was seated, and letting her face drop into her hands. The storm continued raging in its constant battle against the offensive planet that had committed no greater crime then simply existing.   
  
"Kyp?" Jaina spoke softly, but Kyp was instantly alert.   
  
"Yes, Jaina?" he asked, cautious over what she would say.   
  
"I need to get out." Jaina's voice was set. Dead. Empty.   
  
Kyp glanced at the girl he would marry but she shrugged; she didn't know what was up either. "You just were out," he said, even more cautiously.   
  
"No." Jaina looked up, her eyes like twin black holes in her head. "I mean I need to leave. I have to get off of this planet. Away from the Jedi. Out."   
  
Kyp was speechless; but then so was Sanar, he found when he glanced over at her. "Jaina," he said haltingly, unsure of what to say.   
  
"Kyp, I can't do it. I don't care. I'm leaving." Jaina's eyes never blinked. They just stared.   
  
Kyp swallowed hard and Sanar cocked her head back, shaking one of her long bangs behind her ear.   
  
"Well," Sanar started, clearing her throat. "Well, where would you go?"   
  
"Somewhere," Jaina murmured.   
  
"Ah, real specific. Nice try Solo; if we're letting you out of here on your own, you have to give us a comm number and a planet name or you'll never leave here alive." Sanar flipped the towel over her shoulder and then folded her arms over her chest defiantly.   
  
Jaina's lips curved in a ghost of a smile. "Somewhere," she repeated.   
  
Sanar's mocha eyes narrowed, then took on that dangerous gleam that promised pain. "Find your heart," she demanded.   
  
Jaina's face wrinkled momentarily. "Excuse me?"   
  
"Hunt down Zekk; I dare ya," Sanar taunted.   
  
Jaina's face bled free of all color. "I can't."   
  
"Scared?" Sanar's eyes widened. "A Solo backing down from a bet… now this is unheard of!"   
  
"It's not a bet," Jaina shot back, showing signs of life. "It was a dare, and a Solo never risks their life unless it involves money."   
  
"Or pride," Kyp whispered, his eyes sliding almost shut as he watched the showdown.   
  
"I'm making it a bet," Sanar said with a flare. "Five credits says you can't hunt down Zekk and get him to marry you by your twenty-first birthday."   
  
"What if he's dead?" Jaina asked, her eyes sparking with emotion.   
  
"Then you lose and have to pay up." Sanar smirked; she had a feeling that if Zekk were dead, Jaina would've felt it and killed herself. He was alive.   
  
Jaina looked at her friend disbelievingly. "You're kidding. And if he's married??"   
  
Sanar waved a hand. "Put a price on her head and then I'll kill her and you can marry him."   
  
"Sanar!" Jaina was shocked.   
  
"Do you accept? Or are you a coward?" Sanar was cold as ice.   
  
Still, Jaina shook her head. "Not for five credits I won't."   
  
"Ten credits?" Sanar asked, cheekily. Jaina just looked at her, her face lapsing into emptiness again.   
  
Sanar glanced at Kyp and he gave her a little smile, sending her encouragement through their bond. Sanar smirked again, then turned back to Jaina.   
  
"How about ten credits and a ship?"   
  
Jaina's eyes widened. "A ship?"   
  
"You get the ship before you leave. If you fail you have to give it up; if you succeed, you get to keep it." Sanar dipped her head a bit. "So, are we on?"   
  
Jaina looked down at the floor between her feet, not fully believing that she was having this conversation. Silence stretched as they waited for Jaina to make up her mind. Kyp was the most relaxed; having not had much to do with the conversation, he was fairly confident that he could escape any pain if Jaina blew up. Sanar was anxious, hoping that Jaina wouldn't go ballistic and start crying or anything stupid like that. Jaina was frantically trying to think; a refusal leapt to her lips. Zekk didn't love her anymore, and she didn't want to come off as a stalker or anything. But her longing for Zekk beat the immediate 'no' from her tongue, and her head and heart argued over the decision.   
  
Jaina looked back up at Sanar, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "You're on."


	3. Leaving

**Jaina-Elessar: **

_Agorgeous blonde, huh?_

Oh yeah, they're so fun to add to fic's, thereby making the plot more intricate!

_Urgh__! I hate blondes! Wait...I'm blonde...uh...scratch that last comment...lol[/i]_

laughs I share your sentiments. Blonde, but, hate most of the others… shifty eyes Mayhap we should limit ourselves and say we hate certain blondes? . And then never fill in people on who they are we hate!! HAH!!!

_  
How the heck can she handle living in a house where she the only one who's not paired off!?_

She couldn't. This is why she flees for her sanity… happy coo

_She has to go find Zekk!? Wow!_

Uhuh. That was the whole point to this.

_When she finds him is it going to be like...something majorly dramatic.._

Sorta, but, you won't notice it.

_…is her heart gonna get broken again? _

In a manner of speaking. But then again, does she still have a heart to break?

_Ah! You have me wondering! Please update! _

Sorry!! I didn't mean to take so long!!

_I need to find out what happens!! I'll be checking for an update!_

I'm glad. I hope you still are…

_  
By the way, you should check out my story Darkness Rising...I'd like to know what you think._

I did, but, I forgot what I wanted to say about it… goes to double check it and then get back to you

:::::::  
  
_I must arise now and go about the city  
In the streets and the squares  
I must seek him whom my soul loves  
I sought him but I did not find him_  
- "Song of Solomon" from the Bible  
  
:::::::  
  
Jaina was quiet as she packed her things. There wasn't much. A few pairs of trousers, several shirts, a pair of boots, some socks and underthings. One dress that she had bought in anticipation of a date with Zekk – it didn't have a back. Holostills of her family and one of Kyp and Sanar. They had their arms around each other and even though it wasn't moving, their love was shining in their eyes. She tossed another pair of boots into the small trunk and then dropped onto her bed, her head falling into her hands. She knew what she was doing, but it seemed so hopeless. Zekk had moved on; what hope could a plain, brown-haired girl have of snaring someone like him? She let her hands slide from her face and she stared at them.  
  
They were rough, and the nails were cut short. The cuticles were ragged and her skin had a dark tan. Jaina's eyes filled with tears. What hope did she have winning Zekk's heart? The girl he loved was blonde, fair skinned, and she had beautiful hands. Jaina's eyes overflowed, silent tears falling down her cheeks as her heart broke again. Jacen had spent almost two hours trying to convince Jaina not to go – that Zekk still loved her and would return soon to her side.  
  
He almost convinced her.  
  
But the memories were too sharp; too vivid to be pushed aside.  
  
Jaina suddenly stood, her eyes almost golden with pain and tears. Running to her desk she pulled out a drawer and removed the false bottom. Taking the small flat box from its hiding place, she whispered one word.  
  
"Zekk."  
  
The intricate lock sprang open when she gave the password. A small holopicture lay on the bottom, upside down. Jaina's fingers trembled as she gently lifted the picture from where she had hidden it, months before. The box dropped to the floor unheeded. Turning the picture over, she was greeted by a pair of laughing green eyes and shaggy black hair that she would give her soul to touch.  
  
"Oh Zekk…" Jaina whispered, her tears filling her eyelashes. The picture had been taken right before the War; it was the only picture of Zekk she had.  
  
She shoved it into her pocket and spun around, throwing a pillow into the top of her trunk and slamming the top down. Clipping her lightsaber onto her belt, she hoisted the trunk onto her back and left the room. "I've wasted too much time here already," she muttered as she tried to rationalize her leaving without saying good bye.  
  
Jaina made it all the way to her new Miy'til fighter before she was caught.  
  
"Well, I'll miss you too Jaina. Yeah, I'll be fine, trying to sneak off are you?" Sanar's voice was amused and pointed.  
  
Jaina blushed a little and she let her trunk drop to the ground with a crash. "Sorry," she said, her teeth clamped together in embarrassment as she turned to face Sanar.  
  
"It's okay." Sanar came forward and wrapped her arms around the girl she had cheerfully named her best friend and little sister.  
  
Jaina returned the tight hug, her melancholy mood stunted by her friend's care for her.  
  
Sanar pulled back and looked Jaina straight in the eye. "You had better take care of yourself Goddess, or I swear I'll kill you."  
  
"Even if I'm dead?" Jaina asked wryly.  
  
"**Especially** if you're dead," Sanar said teasingly. But Jaina knew that Sanar meant it.  
  
"Alright." Jaina conceded softly. She stepped back and almost tripped over her trunk. Sanar burst out laughing and Jaina tried to kick her in the shin.  
  
"Sorry…" Sanar reached down a hand to help Jaina up, but fell over laughing next to Jaina before Jaina could grab her arm. Sanar was rolling on the ground with laughter; literally.  
  
Jaina felt a massive grin curl the corners of her mouth up as she too began to laugh too.  
  
The two girls' laughter shouted over the clearing in the middle of the forest and filtered through the trees.  
  
Kyp could hear them, and a smile appeared on his craggy face. Jacen grinned. "I think my sister is going to be okay," he said, pulling Tenel Ka close.  
  
Kyp shook his head, "I hope so Jacen."  
  
"Hey, the Force'll take care of her." Jacen gave a cocky smirk and steered the quiet Hapen princess towards a speeder. "Now, honey, seriously. I want to do this for you."  
  
"But – Jacen," Tenel Ka objected as she climbed into the speeder. "I do not know if eloping is the right thing..."  
  
Kyp's smile faded as his apprentice and her fiancé left the small outpost and headed into town. He turned and began to walk to the makeshift hanger that had been set up a short distance from their living quarters. He stopped when he reached the fringes of the trees, Sanar was standing still and waving as Jaina's ship lifted off and headed for space.  
  
It wasn't until Jaina's fighter was lost to Force enhanced sight that Sanar finally stopped waving. Her arm dropped to her side and she started staring at her feet. Kyp's smile was bittersweet as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you," he whispered, bending his head down so he could whisper in her ear.  
  
Sanar smiled faintly, her hands covering the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders as she turned her head to look at him. "I love you too," she whispered back.  
  
Kyp's smile lost its bittersweet edge as he gently kissed Sanar's lips.  
  
As Jaina left the atmosphere, she almost choked on a sob as she felt the love that the two had for each other. Not giving herself any time to think, she punched in a set of coordinates and disappeared into hyperspace.


	4. Dealing with Karrdes

**Smartstar247**

_this__ is a really good story and i like it a lot. _

I'm really glad to hear it!! This story is pretty small, on just about every site. But I'm glad that the people who do read it like it!! Makes it allll worth it.

_Are Han and Luke going to come in later?_

You know what? I hadn't planned on it. Well, Han'll show up in the very end and I think Luke might show up earlier but nothing's… set… in stone…

_it__ is interesting that you killed off leia no other story has done that_.

Heh, I hate Leia. J Killing her felt really, really good. :-D

_oh__ i also really like your story Darkness Rising. Please keep writing both story._

is shocked You've read my other fic?? I'm honored!! Thank you ever so much!! bows I'm posting one in each right now. ;) I'll see if I can settle into a posting pattern now….

:::::::  
  
Talon Karrde was supposedly unreachable; and that was how he had planned it. So when an unfamiliar female voice hailed _Wild Karrde_ over the comsystem, he was surprised. The worry was alleviated somewhat when she gave a clearance code that only a handful of people knew, but that only left him with a whole new set of problems. The voice was unfamiliar, and the ship was of Hapen design. Very few of them could be found outside of the Hapen Cluster and he happened to know who owned them. There were only four beings – and none of them were anywhere near this sector.  
  
He walked smoothly onto the bridge of _Wild Karrde_ and he was left with the faint, unsatisfactory feeling that he was the butt of some prank. "Shada, report?" he asked calmly.  
  
"The ship is landing in cargo bay two right now," Shada D'ukal said, a twinkle in her green eyes at how worried he was.  
  
"Thank you, Shada." He looked down at the floor, then back up at Shada and they communicated silently for a few heartbeats. "Right," Karrde said, turning away from Shada. "I'll go down and greet our guest."  
  
"No need," an airy voice said. "I found the way up on my own."  
  
Jaina walked onto the ships helm, dressed in an orange flightsuit and a helmet under her arm. She wasn't grinning, Karrde noticed, but she didn't seem to be upset.  
  
Karrde's surprise was only momentary as he quickly recovered. "Jaina," he said warmly, extending his arms to her. "So glad to see you."   
  
Jaina smiled a little as she gave the man a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. "How're you doing Karrde?"  
  
"Fair enough; how've you been? I heard that Skywalker actually let Durron out of his sight," Karrde joked.  
  
"Yeah, we were all pretty amazed too," Jaina admitted candidly. "But, it seems to be working out."  
  
"Then why're you here?" Shada asked. "You're one of the main players on that team."  
  
Jaina shuddered, even though she tried not to. "I needed a break."  
  
Shada's green eyes held a flash of pain that she quickly repressed. A small smile quirked at her lips, "I think I know how that goes. So, why're you here?"  
  
Jaina licked her lips, "I – I need some information about – about somebod-thing! Something."  
  
Karrde covered a grin with his hand, _It's__ about a guy, it just has to be._ He thought with amusement. "Very well," He looked Jaina in the eye. "May I offer you refreshments?"  
  
Jaina's quick grin made him smile back, "Thank you, Karrde." Jaina said softly.   
  
:::::::  
  
Shada turned on Karrde as soon as Jaina left the bridge. "She's here about _him_, isn't she?"  
  
"Here about who?" Karrde asked, feigning confusion.  
  
Shada narrowed her eyes warningly, "Don't play coy with me, Karrde; I can make your life miserable."  
  
Karrde laughed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know, trust me, I know."  
  
"Well??"  
  
"Yes, she's here about '_him_', as you put it. Sanar commed me and told me of some… interesting details." Karrde shook his head. "I can't believe I missed the fact about the fighter. She had said that Tenel Ka had been the one to come up with the craft, but, I didn't think!"  
  
Shada tried to hide the grin. "So the almighty Talon Karrde is not omnipotent?"   
  
"Yes, that's what I guess I'm saying," he said wryly.  
  
Shada turned away, walked over to a consol, flipped a couple switches and routed all power to a counterpart of it, and then hopped up onto it and crossed her ankles. "Well, what do we do?"  
  
"Females: bloody one track minds," Karrde murmured. "We'll tell her the truth. Zekk worked for us, but the last time we saw _Zekk_, was close to nine months ago."  
  
Shada frowned, "I can just _see_ how many different ways that could backfire on us."  
  
"Then we'll just have to make sure that it doesn't," Karrde said firmly. "Now let's go let her tell us what she wants to know."  
  
"Right." Shada slipped from her perch and walked resolutely towards the door.  
  
"Oh, and, Shada?" Karrde reached out and caught her arm before she left. "We're 'very worried'."  
  
"Ri—ight," Shada winked at him, and then exited.  
  
:::::::  
  
Jaina was sipping absently at a glass of brandy, listening to Ghent as he tried to explain to her how to alter a ships database without leaving a trail. She tried her hardest to appear interested, but… she groaned. Lowie was the one who enjoyed these types of things! A pang of regret for how life had been _before_ the thrice-accursed 'Vong had destroyed her life. With an effort, she pulled herself out of the dark thoughts that she had fallen into and once again paid attention to… whatever he was saying.  
  
"—And it is very important." Ghent insisted, trying to make her understand.  
  
Jaina smiled gently. "I know, but, it is sometimes so hard to remember…"  
  
Ghent smiled too. "Oh don't worry, I used to mess up too."  
  
Jaina looked impressed. "You did?"  
  
"Well, not very much," he amended.  
  
She smirked and twirled her glass between her fingers. "How old were you?"  
  
Ghent blushed a little and looked down, then mumbled something that sounded like "four" and Jaina's eyes widened.  
  
She gave a short laugh and took a quick gulp of her beverage. "Figures," she teased him gently.  
  
"What?" Ghent asked with a wounded look. Jaina was spared from explaining to him when Shada walked into the room.

"Sorry about the wait," Shada said. "I hope Ghent didn't bore you to tears.  
  
"No," Jaina said with a faint smile. "He didn't."


	5. Memories of Pain

**Mimi**

hugs I can't tell you how glad I am that you're here!! Please!! Enjoy these Chapters!! (even though you've already read them _all_...)

_The watchmen found me   
as they made their rounds in the city   
Have you seen the one   
My heart loves?   
_– "Song of Solomon" from the Bible

Jaina sat down calmly – or at least she hoped it was calmly. Placing the cup carefully down on the table within reach, she folded her hands in front of her and waited for Shada to sit down too. The raven haired smuggler lounged back in her chair, her sage green eyes sparkling wickedly in sharp contrast to her cool and collected appearence. Clearing her throat, Shada caught Jaina's eyes.

"So," she started brightly. "What can I do for you?"

Jaina looked around, then leaned forward conspiratorially. Shada would've been amused if it hadn't been for the fact that she looked dead serious.

"Shada—" Jaina paused, "do—how much do you know about Karrde's people?"

Shada stretched her legs out in front of her and steepled her hands, resting her forehead against her two index fingers. "It depends on the person. Karrde doesn't tell me everything – it's his right as first-in-command. I do know enough that I should probably help you out though."

Jaina flicked her eyes at the door, wishing irrationally that she could just jump up and run away from the situation but she forced herself to continue. "Do—do you know where Zekk is?"

"Zekk?" Shada wrinkled her forehead, looking for all the world like she couldn't fully understand.

Jaina licked her lips. _Oh Force, how did I ever – _ever_ – get myself into this mess? Damn you, Sanar! Damn you every which way 'til – 'til – 'til the day Aunt Mara finds out what you've been doing with Kyp!!_ she thought furiously. "Yeah… Zekk. I know it's kind of unusual, but, it fits him. I mean, I guess it does, I can't really imagine him as a 'Han Calrissian-" _Ew! That's Dad's and Uncle Lando's na… EW!!!_ - "He's just a Zekk. He doesn't need to have a last name. Kind of odd…" she trailed off, pleading with herself to not babble any more.

Shada tried to hide the smirk that she felt growing on her lips but she soon gave up. Jaina looked like she wanted to die – it was too perfect. "Actually," she drawled. "I do know Zekk. Six-foot-something, shaggy black hair that's to die for, melting green eyes-"

"Yes-" Jaina interrupted hurriedly. "That's him."

"Don't know where he is," Shada shrugged. "I haven't heard anything from Zekk in, well, close to ten standard months. I know Karrde hasn't either."   
Jaina's eyes were the only points of color in her pale face. "You…haven't?"

"Nope."

"Oh." Jaina looked hopeless, Shada noted cynically.

Shada reached into a pocket, pulled a small datachip out, and tossed it onto the table in front of Jaina. "I'll be honest: Sanar Klis commed us a few days ago, and asked us for some stuff on Zekk. She explained the bet and asked us to pull all our files on Zekk and send them to her. Said you would probably call her once you realized you didn't know where he was. Seeing as how you came to us… Well, I hope you find him."

Jaina stared at the chip, entranced, as Shada got up and left the lounge, leaving Jaina alone with her thoughts.

Jaina was crouched on the wing of her Miy'til fighter, watching as information scrolled down the small screen. Her eyes were drooping, the amount of data staggering. Zekk had worked as an intelligence officer for Karrde for almost seven years – starting right after the attack he had led on the Jedi Temple. Her tired eyes didn't react until they found a section titled "Solo".

Her jaw dropped in shock as she scanned the list of incidents under "Solo". They all had simple names – Brink, Wander, Descent. Jaina's eyes caught the final one on the list, and she called the name to her droid.

"Stalker? Open file 'Thrown'."

The droid beeped a response and immediately, the words splashed across the screen, and Jaina's world became centered on one single point. The file contained statistics from the battle at Nirauan, the place where Jaina's world had fallen. Her heart felt like it was trying to escape, but her curiosity pushed her forward, and the memories she had tried so hard to avoid flooded over her.

Flashback

They were on the edge of a rift, a twenty meter drop at their backs. There were only four of the Jedi, and there were over twenty Vong. In the sky, hundreds of angry Qom Qae flew about, chirping furiously as they dove at the attackers. Jaina's lightsaber cast a lavender light over her enemies as she turned each and every attack back on them. She had been fighting for hours, her feet slipping occasionally in blood. Her brown hair was falling all over the place, and her eyes were wide with adrenalin. She was losing the fight. The screams of the Qom Qae as they fell to the ground dead only furthered her resolve to destroy the Yuuzhan Vong that were attacking them. It also froze her to the yelling of her companions as she was effectively separated from them. Something was screaming at her to not inhale, but she did, and the poison seeped into her muscles, slipping her into oblivion.

The heavy scent of smoking metal brought her to a choking awareness some time later. She was propped up in a corner, her legs and arms asleep and there was a kink in her neck. Jaina's hazel eyes only barely managed to open, her entire body in stasis. _Unfortunately_, she thought angrily. A shadow fell across her sight, and a heel rocked onto her hand, only to be instantly retracted with a muttered, yet heartfelt, "Kriffit!".

A sudden, brilliant explosion from a thermal detonator sent Jaina swirling back into unconsciousness, and the last thing she registered was a pair of hands grabbing and holding her tightly.

"…so sorry…" were the first words that Jaina heard as she slowly came to again. "I didn't plan for my feelings to change… I swear it… I told you I loved you like a sister… I meant it… after I kissed her, it just… just…" the voice faded away, sobbing too hard to continue.

Jaina pried her eyes open with every ounce of willpower she possessed. Her efforts were rewarded with the sight of dark hair that fell in front of a face that she knew would have glimmering emerald eyes and a casual smile that broke hearts right and left.

_Zekk. _

It's Zekk!! her heart screamed at her. _It's Zekk – he's come back – he's here – I love you – Zekk – Oh Force… no…_ Her mind caught the words he had said.

_"I told you I loved you like a sister… I meant it… after I kissed her…" _

After I kissed her. Jaina felt frozen, her emotions ricocheting off of each other. _Who is "Her"??_ her heart demanded, something telling her that the name meant everything.

_Her._ All the thoughts in Jaina's mind were numb, focused on one word.

_Her. _

Zekk raised his tear-streaked face to look at Jaina's lax one. Her eyes were open only a tiny slit, and her thick lashes made it look like they were still shut. Zekk raised a trembling hand to brush Jaina's hair back from a gash on her forehead.

"I… I put some bacta on your cut, it should be well soon." Zekk tried to talk to her like he had when they had when they were children, but he couldn't quite manage it. "I… Sithit Jaya, I'm so sorry…"

"Zekk?" a clear, bubbly voice yelled. "Where are you?"

Jaina felt like sobbing when Zekk jerked his head up, suddenly grinning. "Rana! Rana, I'm in here!"

A loud explosion swallowed the last bit of his sentence as a tall, very well-stacked blonde woman ran into the room. Jaina's eyes widened a bit as a – there was no denying it, dammit! – beautiful woman slid to her knees, bumping into Zekk. Zekk was smiling at her. No, not at Jaina. At _Rana. _

_Did I ever mention I hated blondes??_ Jaina thought desperately as Zekk leaned in and kissed the other woman.

_For Force's sake, man!!_ Jaina fumed, _Would it kill you to kiss her on the cheek?? Okay so it was sort of on the cheek… Just really close to the mouth… _

"Missed you, baby," Zekk said, his brilliant eyes twinkling with happiness.

"Oh you," Rana boxed him on the shoulder playfully, then gave him a quick hug. "I tossed a thermex at them – I estimate we have about fifteen minutes."

Zekk sighed. "We shouldn't waste it then."

"No." Rana's voice was soft too.

Zekk leaned in and kissed Jaina's forehead gently. "Take care, Jaya. I'm – I'm sorry."

_Wait! Don't go! Zekk!_ Jaina yelled silently, desperate to stop him. Desperate to talk to him. Desperate to take him away from _Rana. _

Zekk stood and pulled Rana up, and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. Rana tangled her fingers in his hair and whispered something in his ear. Zekk straightened up and let her go, his face smiling down at her.

"C'mon, Dark Lord," Rana said teasingly. "Let's blow this joint."

"As my lady wishes," Zekk said mockingly as he hooked one arm under her knees and the other behind her shoulders, lifting her into his arms. Rana struggled briefly as he carried her out of the room without a backward glance, their laughter breaking Jaina's heart, and an excellent accompaniment to the tears that were slowly tracing down her face.

"Zekk…" she whispered, her lips barely cracked open. "Zekk, wait…"

-----

Review or I'll sic my muse on you! She's the one to blame for everything!! Trust me!! Your insurance can't handle it!!


	6. Drinking Trouble

:::::::

_I played the fool today  
And I just dream of vanishing into the crowd  
Longing for home again  
But home is feeling I buried in you  
I can't ask for things to be still again  
No I can't ask if I could walk through the world in your eyes  
Longing for home again_  
- Melissa Etheridge

:::::::

It was almost two weeks later that Jaina finally managed to escape from Karrde and his men. Once Shada had found her laying unconscious on the freezing metal floor with her fighter hovering over like an anxious mother, Jaina had ended up in the medical ward. Jaina hated it. To be perfectly truthful, she didn't escape as much as she was kicked out.

They had yelled something about destroying hundreds of thousands of credits worth of semi-replaceable things as they "checked her out" and sent her along her merry way.

"Merry way, my eye!" Jaina hissed as she pulled her helmet off her head and jammed it under her seat. "I can't believe they thought I would need monitoring. Me! A Jedi! Need monitoring!!"

Her droid, Stalker, tutted reprovingly and she glanced down at the screen.

"No I am **not** being ridiculous! I needed that time!! I swear I did!!" With that she shut her lips tightly and started up the pre-flight sequences, and a few moments later, her fighter flew lazily out of the hangerbay, totally at odds with her furious mindset. Jaina waited until she was a ways away from the ship before punching in the hyperdrive coordinates and slipping into hyperspace. 

:::::::

Shada sighed and shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest with her hands on her shoulders. "We're playing with fire Karrde; I don't like it."

"No one said you had to," Karrde admitted, running his hands up and down her arms before kissing her neck. Shada twisted her head to look at him.

"Karrde; I don't think you get it!" Shada insisted, turning her head back to face the view port, leaning her head against Karrde's shoulder. "We lied to her."

"No, we haven't." Karrde said firmly. "And if we had told her any more, people could lose their lives and I'm not willing to take that chance."

Shada groaned and shook her head. "I still don't li-"

"I know." Karrde growled, closing his eyes. "I hate this too."

:::::::

Jaina came out of her hibernation trance as the proximity alarm began to ring shrilly. She shook her sleep-fogged head and immediately began to check her fighter's readings.

The brown and blue planet loomed ahead large, and her sparkling eyes dimmed in pain. The planet was called Ruoloc and some of the most beautiful paintings and sculptures to ever be formed in the known history of the galaxy came from it. Nothing new in the way of art had come from the planet in almost fifteen years – civil wars, uprisings and rebellions had transformed a planet renowned for peace and beauty into one famed for death and suffering.

A brisk sigh and mental shake banished the planet's history to the back of her mind as she began to plot out the rest of her plan to catch Zekk. Her body went through the motions of bringing her fighter down through the atmosphere without a hitch.

"Miy'til fighter, this is Easte Ruoloc Command. Please state purpose of visit and cargo."

Jaina blinked. She was in a bloody fighter. Cargo?? Shaking her head again she cleared her throat and keyed on her com. "Easte Ruoloc Command, this is Miy'til fighter, purpose of visit is to meet my… husband. No cargo."

_My… Husband?? What the hell was I thinking??_ Jaina ranted at herself, trying to keep from imagining what it would be like to be able to say those words and having them be true.

"Miy'til fighter, you are cleared for docking bay 331Z6."

"Thank you command, anything I should be aware of?"

"There are rumors that Boba Fett's prodigy will be stopping by shortly."

"Boba Fett's prodigy??" Jaina questioned, more then slightly alarmed.

"Shan Brooks. Enjoy your stay on Ruloc. Command out."

:::::::

Jaina walked out of docking bay 331Z6, blaster at her thigh, lightsaber attached to a loop that she wrapped around her neck and then dangled down her back. With her small stature and large, waif-like hazel eyes she looked like an innocent child to the people in town. It was late in the evening, and most of the inhabitants were drunk; yet it was a different sort of drunk then what her brother and friends were. It was an ugly drunkenness; there were brawls on the corner, trysting couples pressed up against the walls, and Jaina felt completely out of place. Jaina kept her eyes on the ground and was blushing furiously by the time she reached a run down cantina with a neon sign out front that kept burning out, and flickering on again.

_Joy,_ Jaina thought mirthlessly as she eyed the entrance to the questionable establishment. Squaring her shoulders, Jaina's eyes looked slightly desperate as she walked up to doors and shoved them open, and almost doubled over as she started coughing madly, a veritable cloud of smoke flowing out through the open doorway.

"Hey girl! Shut the doors!" Someone yelled at her, and Jaina opened her watering eyes.

"Yeah!" another person called, followed by a rude suggestion that many of the room's occupants laughed at and left Jaina feeling dirty for even hearing it. Pulling her head back to take one more deep breath of mostly untainted air she plunged into the dark, smoke-filled room, letting the doors slam shut behind her.

The music was loud, shaking the floor beneath Jaina's feet as she crouched over, trying to stay under the smoke as she worked her way to the back of the room. People shoved their chairs into her, knocking her around and almost sending her to the floor. _Back of the room. Togorian. Black fur. Amber eyes. Name: Eznorb._ Jaina ran down the short list that would point out Zekk's former contact to her.

"What'll it be?" the gravelly voice of the bartender boomed at her over the bass and Jaina timidly stood up, then straightened her spine fully once she found that the smoke wasn't as bad in the back of the room.

"Uh… Loamin Ale?" Jaina asked cautiously, unsure if she should be risking it but too thirsty to refuse a drink.

The man stared at her blankly for a few moments, then leaned over the bar to say something in a different tongue to several of his customers. They laughed loudly and Jaina knew instinctively they were mocking her. She ducked her head and looked at the ground, and then a large clawed hand dropped to her shoulder and the laughter died.

The bar tender pulled back, the amusement and shock that had been so visible on his face dieing away and he turned his back to them, and then turned back, plunking a filthy glass filled with questionable liquid in front of her. Jaina blinked, reached out a hand to pick it up, brought it to her lips and felt positively ill when she saw a small animal floating on the top of her drink. Swallowing hard, she replaced the glass without drinking from it.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," she whispered.

A low laugh sounded from behind her and the hands turned her around, pushing her towards the back of the room. "Just don't do it in here – there'll be hell to pay if you." The voice assured her.

Jaina twisted her head around to see the frightening sight of a grinning Togorian. Her eyes narrowed uneasily, "Eznorb, I'm assuming?"

"Right in one, Solo." The tall creature growled pleasantly, shoving open a door and showing her into a dimly lit room that was relatively smoke free. There was a round table that occupied most of the room and around it sat fifteen varied people. Primarily human, they appeared to be playing Sabbacc. "Men? Look lively here, we have… company."

Jaina opened her mouth to ask about Zekk and the Togorian shook his head. "Later, play a couple rounds with us and then we'll tell you everything you need to know about Zekk and what went wrong—okay?"

"Sure, I guess…" Jaina said warily, sensing something very wrong but unable to decide what it was.

A tingle of fear ran down her spine as she was gently pushed down into a seat around the table, a glass of Coreillian Whisky appeared before her and a few cards pressed into her hand. The men grunted greetings at her and Jaina slouched down in her chair, glaring at her cards as if by sheer willpower they would transform into the winning hand. They didn't change as she reached out her free hand and brought the alcohol to her lips and gulped some down, her focus never wavering even as the drugs slowly entered her body.


	7. Rescue I think

A/N: "Koccic sulng" is old Corellian for "Be quiet".

:::::::

_For one boy, one girl  
Two hearts beating wildly  
To put it mildly  
It was love at first sight_  
– "One Boy, One Girl" by Bryan White

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Jaina's head spun with pain and nausea when she finally started to wake up. She was lying on her side; her legs bent at the knee and held behind her and her arms were yanked behind her at a painful angle. Her arms might've been bound, however, they were numb and she had no way of knowing for certain. Her head lolled to the side and she tried to stretch her legs out, a tangled scream of agony ricocheting off the walls as it jerked her arms and shoulders back. She reached for the Force and was met with resounding… nothing.

_Ysalamiri,_ was the one coherent thought in Jaina's pain-fogged mind as she struggled to understand what was happening.

A large Togorian pulled her head back ruthlessly and a gasping whimper was pulled from Jaina's throat. The face swam before her eyes as she tried to focus on it. There were teeth – lots of teeth, she finally made out.

"You're a troublesome little thing," Eznorb dug his claws into her shoulder. Jaina's mind couldn't process the pain and she simply groaned.

"Careful man!" someone yelled. "The bounty's only good if she's alive!"

"Alive?" Eznorb snarled viciously. "Oh don't worry, she'll be alive. Possibly in multiple pieces—"

"No!" several people yelled simultaneously.

Eznorb hissed angrily, backhanding Jaina across the face. "Fine!!"

The sound of shattering glass froze the occupants of the room as tiny projectiles rained down on them. There was the distinctive sound of a blaster and not even ten seconds later, over half of Jaina's captors slumped over dead. 

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A tall man dropped almost twenty feet down to the ground, landing on his feet, blaster in hand. His hair was tucked under a mask that covered his face, showing only his freezing blue eyes. He hadn't even caught his balance before he squeezed off two more shotspunched in the time-studs on a mini detonator and lobed it at the others. He smiled grimly as the explosion tore the others apart. Eznorb was frozen in horror as he watched his men as they died. The sound of their dieing screams was the last thing he heard as his face was blown apart. The last image in his mind was of his second in command: From one side, he looked unchanged. Then his head rolled to the side and you could see that it had been stripped to the white bone. Scarlet blood stained his skull and a fragment of durrasteel was lodged in his head, right in front of his ear, slipping in a little more to pin his head to the ground.

The man scrambled over to Jaina, his gloved hands pushing back her hair, cradling her face. "Jaina?..." He whispered softly. "Jaina! Wake up…"

"I'm awake," Jaina groaned, keeping her eyes firmly closed. "Light… pain…"

The man smiled a little, then grew serious again. He fumbled a bit and then pulled a Litch-knife out of his boot and cut through the ropes. Jaina's pain-muddled mind registered what he was saying and she grinned slightly.

"Not the ropes fault," she rasped.

He paused to grin at her. "You can talk? Good! I was a little worried."

"Who're you?" Jaina barely managed to say, her throat raw.

"I'm your savior," he said. "Koccic sulng."

Jaina raised her eyebrows at him, wishing that her eyes didn't hurt so much and that he made more sense.

He rolled his eyes at her and grinned. "Be quiet."

"Oh."

They both were still as he finished cutting her free. "Alright," he finally said, rubbing her hand in between his. "You need to stand, we have to get out of here."

Jaina cracked her eyes open, the opened them all the way when she saw at all the carnage. "Oh Force…" she breathed softly. "Why?" Then she seemed to shake herself and her eyes shot to his face. "Why should we have to go? You killed them all." Her voice was accusatory and he rolled his dark blue eyes.

"Hello, Goddess?" the man said teasingly, waving a hand in front of her face. "Ever heard of backup?"

Jaina glared at him, angry that he was being so flippant. He smirked confidently and she found her ire slipping away and leaving in its place a fascination for his lips. The man's smirk faded away when it failed to get an angry rise out of her.

"Hey," he said awkwardly. "Jaina? Snap out of it?"

"Huh?" Jaina asked, blinking back into focus, mortified.

He grinned, but this time it was just an expression of joy and not one of smug satisfaction. "C'mon." He stood, pulling her up with him.

"Ahhh!" Jaina screamed, falling back, her arms curling around her deadened legs of their own violation. The blood had rushed into them, startling her oxygen deprived muscles into awareness and almost crippling the young Jedi.

The man cursed, his arms slipping around Jaina's shoulders and knees, pulling her up to his chest in a defensive movement. "Shavit Jay¯I am so sorry!!" he pleaded with her, his brilliantly hued eyes filled with worry.

Jaina's eyes were closed tightly, her eyelashes were all smashed up against her cheek and the tall man could feel his heart constricting.

"We have to go," Jaina said in a shallow, rasping whisper.

"Right." The man said, turning resolutely towards the door.

"Wait-" Jaina opened her eyes as she shook her head. "There's someone here who works for Boba Fett… if its true that the bounty on me hasn't been cleared off, then Boba would want my head…"

"…And you think that Boba Fett would send his prodigy to do what he would want to do himself?" the man asked wryly, his emotions mixed. Amusement that she was worried about it, depression that she thought that Fett's employee would turn her in. _Well you twit,_ he told himself savagely. _She doesn't exactly know that you're the guy she's thinking about…_

Jaina nodded mutely and the man just gave her a tiny smile.

"Don't worry, Solo." He promised. "I'll take care of you; there's no way anyone's going to take you to Boba Fett while I'm alive."

And strangely enough, she trusted him. She closed her eyes again with a soft sigh. Draping one arm around his neck, she snuggled closer to his chest and let the beating of his heart lull her to sleep…


	8. Who Is This Man?

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Jaina awoke to the sharp sent of stimcaf. She tried to sit up, but pain lanced along her sides. She groaned, unable to scream like she felt like doing, mostly because that would take oxygen she didn't have. A worried face topped by moonlight-blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes peered around the door jam to look at her.

"Jaina? What're you doing up??" Shan Brooks asked while rushing in and wiping sudsy hands on his black pants. "Are you alright."

"Sides. Pain. Shut it. Up. Have to go-" Jaina grunted, trying to un-contort her face and failing.

"You have to go **nowhere**," he annunciated carefully. "You are still hurting and therefore I declare you unfit to move and or be moved. Now stay."

And with that the tall man turned and left the room. Jaina stared after him helplessly, telling herself that she was sad to see him leave and that she wasn't admiring his body. Her denial lasted until he got back, and she blushed. 

In the man's hand were three of the slim, circular injectors. Jaina looked at him, her dark gaze threaded through with pain and curiosity, her question wordless.

He obliged her. "They each hold something different. This one," he held up one that was blue on one side and green on the other. "Contains Kolto. It's a healing agent that works even better then bacta."

Jaina made a sound of surprise and he translated it. "Yes, it's rare. Almost impossible to get unless you have a plant," he explained slyly. "This one has Somniject" - this one was all blue - "and this one has an anesthetic."

"Som-je-t?" Jaina croaked out.

"Somnijet is a sedative. It's one which you will take willingly."

Jaina's eyebrows drew down over her glaring eyes and her mouth tightened into a plainly angry face. She then she shook her head wildly, her messy hair flying all over her pillow.

"Now, now," he said with a smirk. "Just be a good little dear."

"You'll poison me." She insisted, her voice very raspy.

His own face darkened. "I wouldn't. Trust me."

"Don't – know you."

His face cleared and he grinned at her, swiping the hair off of his forehead with one hand before sweeping into a bow. "Then allow me to introduce myself. I am your resident savior, isn't that enough?"

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Hours later, Shan Brooks, Savior of Jaina Solo, sat in the pilots seat with his arms crossed over his chest. His dark blue eyes were narrowed dangerously, unknowingly making him seem unapproachable. Around him streaks of hyperspace zoomed past as his ship hurtled through space. His ship; he almost laughed at that sentiment. Jaina. In his hold was Jaina's Miy'til fighter, in his wardrobe were Jaina's clothes, on his floor were Jaina's shoes and Jaina herself was slumbering in his quarters. Jaina. She had taken over his life once again.

Shan's face darkened even more.

"Stang it!" Shan suddenly hissed, standing up swiftly and spinning around to pace, frustrated, the length of the cockpit of his carefully modified yacht. It was, originally, a SoroSuub Horizon-Class Star Yacht that he had owned for close to three years and a gift from his employer. It had been carefully modeled after **Jade Shadow**, an awesome weapon that Jedi Master Jade-Skywalker owned, and there was little he treasured more in the universe.

Still, Shan was angry.

Solo had messed up his plans considerably, and despite his best wishes, he knew that she wasn't likely to go away. Or at least, she wouldn't once she knew what his mission was. And he very much doubted that he'd be able to hide anything from her. Why, even now she was probably getting up, ignoring his orders AND the sedatives and –

"Alright, who are you?" asked a hard and rasping voice from behind him. Shan froze, his back taut with suppressed emotions, then he whirled to face her, his moon-kissed hair flying every which way.

"What are you doing out of bed??" Shan demanded.

Jaina looked petulant. "I'm not sleepy. Now who are you?"

"I told you-"

"You told me nothing!" Jaina snapped at him. "Now tell me or I won't budge."

Shan wanted nothing more then to tell her the truth but instead he made himself snap at her. "Fine! Anything to be rid of you, I swear!" he whirled around again, throwing his hands in the air.

Jaina growled, her dark hair falling into her face, and her hands clenching tightly into fists. The man tossed a set of ID's to her, and she tried to catch them, but fumbled and dropped them to the floor, her Force enhanced reflexes notwithstanding. Snatching them up with the Force, she tried hard not to blush, but it was hard when the man sighed with exasperation. Jaina scanned the papers. "Shan Brooks?" she asked, startled. _No… there has to be a mistake!!_ "You're…"

"Boba Fett's protégé? Yeah, I am." He leaned against the back of the copilot chair and folded his arms across his chest. "What's it to you?"

Jaina was silent, her mind racing to find a way out of what suddenly was a dangerous situation.


End file.
